The 25 Best Action Games On PC

You probably like action games. But which ones should you like best?! We’ve narrowed it down to 25, and then put them in the unimpeachably correct order. Read on for details of the best action biff-zap-collect-me-do gaming you can stuff down your trousers.

The action game is perhaps one of the toughest genres to pin down. More often than not it can be defined by which games aren’t in it, rather than those that are. They’re definitely not RPGs, so that’s Mass Effect, The Witcher 3 and so on out. Third-person shooters – they’re another thing, we’re certain. But is a game a shooter simply because it contains shooting? What’s Max Payne? Eh? EH? Platform games – they’re even tougher. Where’s the line? Well, it turns out it’s wherever we say it is, and arguing is simply forbidden. That simplifies things.

It’s also a genre that has, it’s fair to say, seen most of its success away from the PC. From Zelda to Ratchet & Clank to Banjo & Kazooie, their likes have never graced our door. And more’s the pity. But plenty of absolutely stunning games have – phew, eh?

Remember, if you don’t see your favourite action game appearing on this list, that’s because your favourite action game is rubbish, and you’re a complete fool. Or it’s because we limited it to 25, and there are at least 27 good action games.

Click on the links below to leap to a particular section, but if you just skip to number one first, you’re not getting any pudding. You’ll find details of where you can buy the games, what we’ve previously written about them, and suggestions for other games you might like to try if that one ticked your boxers.